I have friends with whom I love to cook. Some of them, heart be still, are even men. But Garrett and I have a more segregated kitchen life. He ventures in for the occasional kiss or glass of water. At least, that’s how it goes most of the time.

Since we first met, he’s sworn up one side and down the other that he can cook. I had my doubts. And then he made breakfast.
I arrived to a kitchen filled with the a spicy tomato aroma. When I peered into the fry pan of bubbling salsa and asked him, “Whatchya doin?” He handed me coffee (he knows what’s good for him) and shooed me out of the kitchen.

It didn’t take long for breakfast to be on the table. The still bubbling frypan was filled with poached eggs and topped with cheese. We ate together, scooping up bits of runny yolk with chips. The man could cook.

Don’t worry. I’m still going to let him chop wood and kill spiders. There are some boy jobs which never go away.

Eggs Poached in Salsa
Serves 2

We started adding black beans to the salsa. They really make the dish heartier. You could also serve it with a dollop of sour cream on top.

16 ounces, semi thick salsa
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
4 eggs
¼ cup cheese (such as sharp cheddar)
Chips

Add salsa and beans to a medium fry pan with lid. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Crack eggs into salsa, making sure each egg has its own space. Allow to cook until whites begin to turn white. Top with cheese, turn down heat to low and cover fry pan with lid.

Allow cheese to melt fully. Serve warm with chips.
Note: Best eaten directly from the pan with someone you like.

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And then there are the times I’ve been so enthralled with a new tool I’ve rashly made a purchase without really considering its practical application. There was the stainless steel garlic masher I’ve never used; the “adorable” dessert fondue tray which scorches chocolate; and the electric coffee grinder with no removable parts, that’s impossible to wash, and is now so rancidly acidic it has no hope of turning out grounds anyone would want to drink. Think you and I are alone? William Grimes documented several big name chefs who have fallen into the kitchen-tool-woes in his article “Must-Have Gadgets for the Kitchen? Think Again.”

When it comes down to it, where should you save and where should you splurge? Here are two tools I use on a regular basis. One’s a save and one’s a splurge.

SAVE – Colanders
A colander’s, a colander’s, a colander. As long as it has small enough holes not to let your food slip out. Buy that baby used and save yourself dollars. Think Good Will. Salvation Army. The second hand store down the street.

SPLURGE – Thermapen
Thermapen is Cooks Illustrated’s recommended instant read thermometer. It’s pricey – $96.00 pricey. And, it’s worth every penny. Those people at Cooks Illustrated know what they’re talking about. This onetime purchase will change the way you cook. Forget standing in front of the open oven waiting for your thermometer to slowly register. In just six seconds, Thermapen accurately gives you a temperature. Stop cutting into your meat to check if it’s finished cooking. Test it with your Thermapen. Re-heating a casserole? Gone are the days of finger-in the-center checking. (You know you’ve done it.) Thermapen well tell you exactly how warm it is.

Now, put your Thermapen into action with this Crusted Tilapia. We all know, protein is almost always the most expensive part of your meal. With Thermapen, there’s no guessing. Only cooking and eating.

Pan Seared Tilapia
Serves 4

4 tilapia filets
Salt
3 TPS olive oil
Pesto (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season tilapia filets with salt to taste. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add tilapia filets and allow to brown on one side (about 3 minutes). Flip and transfer immediately to oven. Allow to cook until the center registers 145 degrees (about 5 minutes).

Remove from oven. Transfer each filet to a plate and top with pesto. Serve immediately.

Pesto
1 bunch basil
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
¾ cup olive oil
½ cup parmesan, finely grated

In a large food processor, pulse basil, pine nuts and garlic until well chopped. With food processor running, stream olive oil into mixture. Remove from food processor and stir in Parmesan. Serve on top of fish, tossed with pasta or spread on bread.
Note: If you don’t want to use your pesto immediately, omit the cheese and freeze the pesto. Consider spooning into an ice cube tray to freeze pesto in individual servings.

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If you’d asked me, we had potatoes coming out of our eyeballs. But in my senior year of high school, I struck up a conversation with a stranger in the grocery store checkout line. My perspective has never been the same.

(I have a tendency to talk to strangers. It makes some people uncomfortable, but often I learn amazing tidbits. So, I just roll with it. You never know what you will learn.)
For whatever reason, I had a five-pound bag of potatoes in my cart. The man behind me grimaced at them. “You don’t like potatoes?” I asked.

“If I can help it, I’ll never eat a potato again,” he said. Turns out, the first year he and his wife were married they were so poor, they ate potatoes. Only potatoes. Big russet potatoes. “Mac ‘n’ cheese was a lavish expense,” he told me.

Clearly, Mom wasn’t cooking that many potatoes. Today, I still eat a lot of spuds. I like them, a lot. Particularly roasted. But sometimes, mixing things up makes the old standard all the better. This Roasted Sweet Vegetable Medley is still a budget friendly dish. But, it has a huge boost of flavor.

Roasted Sweet Vegetable Medley
(Adapted from Richard Swearinger’s Roasted Vegetable and Chickpeas featured in the Better Homes and Gardens November 2011 issue)
Serves 8 as a side (4 as a main dish)

This is a great side or, topped with a poached egg, it’s a fantastic vegetarian main dish. To give it a boost of protein, try adding a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas.

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and cut into 1-inch wedges
1 lb red or russet potatoes, cut into cubes
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS olive oil
1½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp packed brown sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place all ingredients in a large shallow roasting pan. Toss well to coat (I like to use my hands).

Roast uncovered for 45 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring twice throughout cooking process.

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